Lake district has been farmed into shape. Its lovely but not natural.
Highlands
I assume the highlands are less infested by tourists
Both are special and we visit both each year at least once. The lakes are beautiful but always strike me as much more “curated”. The highlands are truly wild and vast with vast swathes still untouched by moron-kind.
The Highlands and Islands is the best place on earth, Lakes a close 2nd for me.
The Scottish Highlands win, being about 50% taller, much larger in area, and having locations several days walk from the nearest Tesco.
Lakes are nice but nothing beats the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
Highlands.
It’s like Jurassic fucking park up there.
Ha true
Firstly, there will be those who will argue the toss of exactly how “natural” both areas are.
Secondly, I live in the Lakes, but have to say for beauty I love the Scottish Highlands. Just not in summer (boy those midges are something else…)
Do we need to discriminate on beauty? Anyway, doesn’t slough complete the triangle of beauty.
Highlands shits all over the lake district
Snowdonia.
The Highlands for me I have been to the Lake District once driving through it and it looks fantastic I also spent a few hours around Cumbria in the summer and it looked amazing as well
Scottish Highlands, more of it, less crowded.
Both possess their own unique forms of captivating beauty and majesty.
The highlands have an unrefined and rugged sometimes unforgiving, harsh mystique and charm… Providing a small glimpse into what untamed island of Britain might’ve looked like before industrialization, growth in population and modernity.
The lake district is quaint, refined and shaped by agriculture and the elements. Both… For different reasons.
Highlands a hundred times over, as long as you get away from Glencoe and the tourist path to ben nevis.
The highlands are also like 10 times the size of lake district, so you have much more of everything, greater distances, remoteness and some truly secluded places.
Both.
Two of the best looking man-made deforestation disasters
They’re both incredible, worth noting that Snowdonia ought to very much be in conversation for the most naturally beautiful place in Britain.
Highlands. I like the Lakes and Snowdonia, no denying it’s beautiful but any time I’m there I can’t shake a feeling of ‘this is like Scotland, but slightly worse’.
Both are lovely but where the Highlands win is the sheer size of the area. The landscapes in both are similar, as is Eryri, but The Highlands are vast in comparison.
Looks like the vote is for the place you can get furthest away from other people. I’m in.
I’ve lived in Scotland, but never been to the Lake District. I would be happy to make a comparison if someone would fund my trip back across The Pond! 😂
Highlands for me. There’s something about the light up there too
The Lake District is stunning and is comparable in beauty to a lot of the mountain areas in the Scottish Highlands. However have a Google of torridon and Assynt to see how much more vast the Scottish Highlands are. If natural beauty is measured by you saying wow or whoah, I think the Higlands pips the Lake District. Don’t overlook Snowdonia in this debate tho – the Welsh peaks are more impressive than the Lake District ones imo.
Edit: Also, you didn’t really pic fair comparison pics in your post. Lol.
Lakes. I’d love a big ranch in Scotland but it always seems so baron!
Your second pic isn’t exactly doing the lakes justice lol
Highlands m interestingly the mountains were taller than the Himalayas at one point
Highlands for majesty, lake district for idyll. Different kinds of beauty.
Something about Scotland being on ‘up there’ makes it seem much grander and more inviting, like there are places to discover
The lake district, while pretty, is a relatively small area bordered by a short stretch of coast and a motorway
It feels like you can really get lost in Scotland, that every hill will be different
I’ve limited experience of both. But for me the lakes have a stunning view everywhere you look, but you pay the price in it being really busy everywhere and terrible traffic getting into a fairly small area.
The Highlands are vast, there are areas that are just as stunning as the lakes but it’s all a lot more spread out and there’s a lot of “filler” between the highlights.
Also in the lakes the towns are part of the experience, whereas the Highlands is all about nature.
If you’re happy to travel a lot I’d say the Highlands have the edge, for ease of access the lakes.
Plus the Highlands have a load of ancient sites dotted around, a friend of mine actually got a job with the Highland council nearly 20 years ago going round documenting all the various cairns and other historical sites with a view to making them accessible to tourists. I lost touch with him but I assume there are various interesting places to visit as a result of that project now.
Caveat Highland midges in July can suck a bag of dicks though
Snowdonia
Something magical about Rannock Moor and Glencoe
3) Snowdonia
Wales
Well you have picked the least flattering pic for the lake District
40 comments
Both beautiful but Highlands edge it for me
birmingham
Lake district has been farmed into shape. Its lovely but not natural.
Highlands
I assume the highlands are less infested by tourists
Both are special and we visit both each year at least once. The lakes are beautiful but always strike me as much more “curated”. The highlands are truly wild and vast with vast swathes still untouched by moron-kind.
The Highlands and Islands is the best place on earth, Lakes a close 2nd for me.
The Scottish Highlands win, being about 50% taller, much larger in area, and having locations several days walk from the nearest Tesco.
Lakes are nice but nothing beats the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
Highlands.
It’s like Jurassic fucking park up there.
Ha true
Firstly, there will be those who will argue the toss of exactly how “natural” both areas are.
Secondly, I live in the Lakes, but have to say for beauty I love the Scottish Highlands. Just not in summer (boy those midges are something else…)
Do we need to discriminate on beauty? Anyway, doesn’t slough complete the triangle of beauty.
Highlands shits all over the lake district
Snowdonia.
The Highlands for me I have been to the Lake District once driving through it and it looks fantastic I also spent a few hours around Cumbria in the summer and it looked amazing as well
Scottish Highlands, more of it, less crowded.
Both possess their own unique forms of captivating beauty and majesty.
The highlands have an unrefined and rugged sometimes unforgiving, harsh mystique and charm… Providing a small glimpse into what untamed island of Britain might’ve looked like before industrialization, growth in population and modernity.
The lake district is quaint, refined and shaped by agriculture and the elements. Both… For different reasons.
Highlands a hundred times over, as long as you get away from Glencoe and the tourist path to ben nevis.
The highlands are also like 10 times the size of lake district, so you have much more of everything, greater distances, remoteness and some truly secluded places.
Both.
Two of the best looking man-made deforestation disasters
They’re both incredible, worth noting that Snowdonia ought to very much be in conversation for the most naturally beautiful place in Britain.
Highlands. I like the Lakes and Snowdonia, no denying it’s beautiful but any time I’m there I can’t shake a feeling of ‘this is like Scotland, but slightly worse’.
Both are lovely but where the Highlands win is the sheer size of the area. The landscapes in both are similar, as is Eryri, but The Highlands are vast in comparison.
Looks like the vote is for the place you can get furthest away from other people. I’m in.
I’ve lived in Scotland, but never been to the Lake District. I would be happy to make a comparison if someone would fund my trip back across The Pond! 😂
Highlands for me. There’s something about the light up there too
The Lake District is stunning and is comparable in beauty to a lot of the mountain areas in the Scottish Highlands. However have a Google of torridon and Assynt to see how much more vast the Scottish Highlands are. If natural beauty is measured by you saying wow or whoah, I think the Higlands pips the Lake District. Don’t overlook Snowdonia in this debate tho – the Welsh peaks are more impressive than the Lake District ones imo.
Edit: Also, you didn’t really pic fair comparison pics in your post. Lol.
Lakes. I’d love a big ranch in Scotland but it always seems so baron!
Your second pic isn’t exactly doing the lakes justice lol
Highlands m interestingly the mountains were taller than the Himalayas at one point
Highlands for majesty, lake district for idyll. Different kinds of beauty.
Something about Scotland being on ‘up there’ makes it seem much grander and more inviting, like there are places to discover
The lake district, while pretty, is a relatively small area bordered by a short stretch of coast and a motorway
It feels like you can really get lost in Scotland, that every hill will be different
I’ve limited experience of both. But for me the lakes have a stunning view everywhere you look, but you pay the price in it being really busy everywhere and terrible traffic getting into a fairly small area.
The Highlands are vast, there are areas that are just as stunning as the lakes but it’s all a lot more spread out and there’s a lot of “filler” between the highlights.
Also in the lakes the towns are part of the experience, whereas the Highlands is all about nature.
If you’re happy to travel a lot I’d say the Highlands have the edge, for ease of access the lakes.
Plus the Highlands have a load of ancient sites dotted around, a friend of mine actually got a job with the Highland council nearly 20 years ago going round documenting all the various cairns and other historical sites with a view to making them accessible to tourists. I lost touch with him but I assume there are various interesting places to visit as a result of that project now.
Caveat Highland midges in July can suck a bag of dicks though
Snowdonia
Something magical about Rannock Moor and Glencoe
3) Snowdonia
Wales
Well you have picked the least flattering pic for the lake District
Glencoe all day